Asset report is not an attack on Lee, KMT says

A report on the Chinese Nationalist Party's (KMT) assets is not aimed at shifting responsibility to former President Lee Teng-hui (李登輝), who was the KMT's chairman from 1988-2000, the party's spokesman said yesterday.

According to Huang Yu-chen (黃玉振), the leaked report simply details how party assets were managed at different times and is not intended to target or criticize Lee.

He noted that the report, prepared by the party's Deputy Secretary-General Chang Che-chen (張哲琛) and lawyer Lee Yung-jan, describes how the assets were managed under all party chairman, beginning with Chiang Kai-shek (蔣介石).

Ma, who was elected chairman in July last year, has asked his staff to tackle the controversy over the party's stolen assets "as soon as possible" and so the party is ready to look at the issue one year after Ma became party leader, Huang said.

He said the party will reveal all of its assets in an open, transparent and comprehensive manner and will not try to "shun or hide" any questions.

He acknowledged that investment profits and losses, included in the report, might have been leaked and made into news stories.

Ma said the report was simply the KMT's "response to people's expectations" and he expressed surprise it has been interpreted as an attempt to "cut ties" with Lee.

He added that he will explain how the party intends to handle its assets following an Aug. 23 meeting of the KMT Central Standing Committee, when members will discuss the report.

The ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) and its pan-green camp ally the Taiwan Solidarity Union have tried to pass a law to tackle the KMT's stolen assets.